This bill eliminates a special vehicle weight provision that applies only on portions of STH 13 in Ashland County and STH 70 in Vilas County and adds these highway routes to the group of highway routes for which the Department of Transportation may issue Michigan border permits.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate on a highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles (vehicles) that exceeds certain statutory limits on size, weight, or load unless that person possesses a permit issued by DOT. 2017 Wisconsin Act 59, the 2017 Biennial Budget Act, established a special weight limit that applies only to vehicles 1) that have 11 axles; 2) that are transporting exclusively forest products or lumber; and 3) that are being operated on certain portions of STH 13 in Ashland County or STH 70 in Vilas County. Specifically, these vehicles are subject to a maximum weight limit of 164,000 pounds, but no per wheel, axle, or group of axles weight limit is provided for these vehicles.

Also under current law, DOT may issue an annual or consecutive month permit (Michigan border permit) for an oversize or overweight vehicle to 1) transport loads within 11 miles of the Wisconsin-Michigan state line; 2) transport certain forest products on portions of USH 2, if the vehicle does not violate Michigan law; and 3) transport certain forest products on specified highway routes. This bill allows a vehicle operating under a Michigan border permit as provided in item 3, above, to operate on portions of STH 13 in Ashland County and STH 70 in Vilas County.

Because this bill concerns an exception to the vehicle weight limits specified in ch. 348, stats., the Department of Transportation, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: